Center for Regional Food Systems

Beginning farmers everywhere are the pulse of our society. With unlimited enthusiasm and tenacity, beginning farmers are jumping into the agricultural sector ready to grow food to feed their families, communities and the world. One significant obstacle can often halt this effort: access to financial capital and readiness to pursue the appropriate financing route for your farm business. As you are preparing to pursue financial capital to support your farm business, ask yourself:

• What are your financial capital needs to support your farm business? 
• Are you prepared to approach lenders with all their requirements? 
• Are you interested in exploring beyond conventional sources of financial capital? 

A wide array of financial capital sources are available to meet your goals. Conventional financial sources such as large commercial banks, federally regulated lenders, local/regional banks and credit unions can be often be combined with alternative financial capital sources such as loans from individuals, royalty financing, crowdfunding, individual development accounts (IDA), community development financial institutions (CDFIs), federal and philanthropical funding and multi-year community supported agriculture shares (CSA) to create fruitful financial capital packages for your farm business.

This guide is authored by:

• Shakara Tyler, Underserved Farmer Development Specialist, MSU Center for Regional Food Systems
• Ben Waterman, University of Vermont Extension